Paul Heiney

One of the great tricks of the sea is that it can give you an altogether different view of a port than if you approach by land - often the sailor’s view is far more pleasurable

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Everyone has a favourite harbour, the ones we long for and lust over on long winter nights. We imagine much time is spent ashore as it is on the high seas, and arriving in a new harbour raises a mountain of urgent questions, such as where’s the nearest shop for an essential baguette and croissant, and the butter to go with ourselves edging through the them? There’s a bin liner full of salty harbour mouth, returning to washing, so where’s the laundry? our spiritual home, feeling the What is there to actually do in this swell disappear as we drift into place, once you’ve wandered round sheltered waters. In our dreams the chandlery in a forensic kind of there’s always a spare mooring, way on the deeply held suspicion that and our favourite stool by the the French have some secret yacht bar in waiting for us, the fish fitting they are keeping from us. and chips are as we remember I’ve seen a lot of things while them. That’s what sailing into cruising, but I’ve missed a lot too. a harbour should feel like. I can’t tell you how many times I

But let me give you a word have sailed away from a harbour, of warning. If, for some reason, only to discover later the place was you aren’t able to get there by immersed in history, had a tuckedboat, don’t even think of doing it away little museum which would by car. Harbours have two faces; the one they present from the sea ‘Harbours have two faces; pass an hour, or perhaps there was an epic swimming pool, out of sight - which is the one we remember and is closest to our affection - and the one they present from but just round the corner from the marina and so never visited. Of the other is the motorist’s view, and the sea - and the other is the course, if you have children on board, this is to be avoided at all costs. I know this from harsh experience motorist’s view’ then the questions become ever more urgent. Hardly has the turn having just spent days in my car gone round the first shoreside cleat, slogging up and down the Brittany coast. My travels took and certainly before the engine goes off, and they want to me to a little harbour which I remember once fighting my know if there’s a beach, are there chips, and what about way into through twelve hours of dense fog, pre-GPS as those scuba lessons they were promised? Oh, and bike well. Once safe and secure, it seemed the most magical hire! You promised us we could hire some bikes, Dad. place on earth. But how do I find it when seen from To try and answer some of these plaintive cries I behind the wheel of my car? Shopping estates, garden reluctantly got in my car and headed for France. And centres, McDonalds on the outskirts, and all the dreary why not by boat? Because, for a change, I was focussed paraphernalia of modern life. And I don’t like playing on the shore, not the water. Many of the harbours I dodgems with bloated SUVs squeezed like toothpaste into knew quite well anyway after many years of channel too narrow streets. Talk about a land of broken dreams. hops and Brittany cruising. If you can get there outside

On the plus side, this nightmare turned into an idea of the French holiday season of July and August, you for a book. Pilot books are unmatchable when it comes are in one of the finest cruising grounds in Europe, to getting you into harbour, brilliant at pointing out the and only a twenty four hour sail for most of us. hazards, the tides, and all other things that can cause a But please remember that the satisfaction harbours cruise to come to a crunchy ending. But once the lines have to offer has to be earned. They simply didn’t feel are ashore, you’ve taken a breath, put the kettle on, that’s like the places I was so fond of after hammering down when you are on your own. So my idea was this: I’d a dreary dual carriageway to get there. But the job in compile a book that focussed not on the sea but on the done now, the first book is out, and that is the last time shore, hence title for this new series of books - ‹Shores I go to Brittany by land. The lesson is always to arrive by

Guides’. The first one is out now and covers the Channel sea. But I suppose we all knew that in the first place. coast of France from Dunkerque to L’AberWrach, Paul’s Adlard Coles Shore Guide to the Channel next year will take us from Brest to La Rochelle. Coast of France is out now priced at £18.99. Go

It’s worth remembering that on a typical cruise, as to bloomsbury.com for more details

ILLUSTRATION CLAIRE WOOD